The Lions of Teranga has advanced to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso, led by Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, who got a goal and an assist.
In last night’s semi-final victory over Burkina Faso, Sadio Mane extended his fantastic AFCON form. Senegal’s second goal was set up by the Liverpool winger, who brilliantly got away from his opponent on the bar line to set up an easy finish for PSG’s Idrissa Gana Gueye.
In an eventful game, VAR chalked off two Senegal penalties, with Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi injured during the events of the first. Senegal took the lead thanks to Abdou Diallo and Idrissa Gueye, but Blati Toure narrowed the gap late on.
With three minutes remaining, Mane sealed the victory when he was let through on goal and lofted the ball over Burkina Faso substitute goalkeeper Farid Ouedraogo. It was Mane’s 29th goal for Senegal, tying him with Henri Camara for the most goals in the country’s history.
Senegal is back in the Africa Cup of Nations final, but this time they’ll be trying to go one step further than they did in the last edition, when they were defeated 1-0 by Algeria in Egypt in 2019.
Aliou Cisse, the head coach, was a member of the Senegal team that reached the first AFCON final in 2002, losing to Cameroon in a penalty shoot-out in which he missed a penalty kick.